Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02855058 2014-06-25
FLEXIBLE SURFACE CLEANING DEVICE
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims benefit of priority of US Provisional Patent
Application Serial Number
61/838,810, filed June 24, 2013, entitled "Flexible Hinged Handle Dust Mop ",
owned by the
-- assignee of the present application and herein incorporated by reference in
its entirety.
BACKGROUND
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to manually operated surface cleaning devices
and more
particularly, to a surface cleaning device that employs a handle that not only
can be bent (or
-- folded) any angle but also can be locked at the bent angle.
A conventional surface cleaning device, a mop, basically comprises a mop head
that actually
cleans the surfaces by contact, and a handle about which the mop is operated
by a user.
Although, the mop head is pivotally connected to handle, the handle itself is
rigid as it generally
-- comprises a unitary piece made of plastic, wood, lightweight metal, etc.
This general unitary
construction of the mop is hassle-free when dealing with free spaces. But,
when it comes to
cleaning tight or hard-to-reach spaces such as, underneath a couch, table,
etc., the handle
restricts the egress of the mop head into those tight spaces. As a result, the
user has to bend or
even crouch so as to further tilt and, at the same time, control the handle in
order to clean the
-- tight spaces. This clearly is a great inconvenience.
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In the light of what is discussed above, there is long felt need in the art
for a solution for the
aforementioned problem.
SUMMARY
The present invention comprises a manually-operated, flexible cleaning device
comprising a
mop head pivotally connected to a flexible or bendable handle member. More
particularly, the
handle member is divided into top and bottom handle segment that are coupled
together by
means of a knuckle joint. Not only the cleaning device, by virtue of the
knuckle joint allows for
the angular movement of the top and bottom handle segments with respect to one
another,
but also enables the user to lock the handle member at an angular position of
180 degrees by
engaging a lock pin within a lock hole wherein, the lock pin and lock hole are
disposed within
and on the knuckle joint itself. Having the handle member to bend (or fold)
prevents the user
from bending in order to reach the aforesaid tight spaces as the handle member
bent to a
desired angle (say, 90 degrees) can be easily used for reaching the tight
spaces.
Other objects and advantages of the embodiments herein will become readily
apparent from
the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of a perspective
view of the surface cleaning device.
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FIG. 2, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of pivot joint
connecting the mop head and the handle member.
FIG. 3, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of a perspective
of the mop head.
FIG. 4, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of a perspective
view of the handle member.
FIG. 5, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of the knuckle
joint connecting the top and bottom handle segments.
FIG. 6, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of the pin handle
recess.
FIG. 7, according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of a
perspective view of the handle member.
FIG. 8, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of a perspective
view of the knuckle joint.
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FIG. 9, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of a perspective
view of the double eye member.
FIG. 10, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of a side
sectional view of the double eye member.
FIG. 11, according to the embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of a
perspective view of the single eye member.
FIG. 12, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of another
perspective view of the single eye member.
FIG. 13, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of a perspective
view of the lock member.
FIG. 14, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of the lock
member assembled into the spring-loaded bracket.
FIG. 15, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of a perspective
sectional view of the handle member.
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FIG. 16, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of a perspective
side view of the handle member.
FIG. 17, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of the handle
member bent at right angles.
FIG. 18, according to an additional embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of a
perspective view of the surface cleaning device with the lock sleeve.
FIG. 19, according to an additional embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of a
perspective view of the lock sleeve.
FIG. 20, according to an additional embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of a
top view of the lock sleeve.
FIG. 21, according to an additional embodiment of the present invention, is a
closer view of the
lock sleeve in unlock position.
FIG. 22, according to an additional embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of a
side sectional view of the handle member with the lock sleeve in unlock
position.
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FIG. 23, according to an additional embodiment of the present invention, is a
closer view of the
lock sleeve in lock position.
FIG. 24, according to an additional embodiment of the present invention, is an
illustration of a
side sectional view of the handle member with the lock sleeve in lock
position.
FIGURES ¨ REFERENCE NUMERALS
¨ Surface Cleaning Device
12¨ Mop Head
10 14¨ Handle Member
16¨ Pivot Joint
18¨ Mop Material
20¨ Mop Holder
22 ¨ Top Handle Segment
24¨ Bottom Handle Segment
26¨ Knuckle Joint
28¨ Pin Handle Recess
30¨ Double Eye Member
32 ¨ Single Eye Member
34¨ Knuckle Pin
36 ¨ Top Knuckle Rod
38 ¨ Side Extension Member
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40 ¨ Side Hole
42 ¨ Lock Recess
44¨ Bottom Knuckle Rod
46 ¨ Central Extension Member
48 ¨ Central Hole
50 ¨ Lock Hole
52¨ Lock Member
54¨ Lock Pin
56¨ Pin Handle
58 ¨ Spring-loaded Bracket
60 ¨ Lock Sleeve
62 ¨ Lock Sleeve Recess
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In the following detailed description, a reference is made to the accompanying
drawings that
form a part hereof, and in which the specific embodiments that may be
practiced is shown by
way of illustration. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to
enable those skilled
in the art to practice the embodiments and it is to be understood that the
logical, mechanical
and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the
embodiments. The
following detailed description is therefore not to be taken in a limiting
sense.
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Referring to FIGs. 1 through 3, the present invention comprises a manually-
operated, flexible
surface cleaning device 10 that is specifically designed to reach tight spaces
such as,
underneath a couch, table, etc., thereby negating the need for the user
thereof to bend over
(so as to reach the tight spaces). The device 10 comprises a mop head 12 and a
handle member
14 wherein, the handle member 14 is connected to the mop head 12 centrally.
More
particularly, the mop head 12 is connected to the handle member 14 by means of
a pivot joint
16 as seen in FIG. 2. In one embodiment, the mop head 12 may be connected to
the handle
member 14 by means of a ball joint so as to allow for rotation and angular
movement along
multiple planes. Referring particularly to FIG. 3, the mop head 12 further
comprises a mop
material 18, which comprises an absorbent material, such as, sponge, yarn,
etc., and a mop
holder 20 for holding the mop material 18. The mop holder 20 is preferably
rectangular in
shape so as to reach corners. The mop holder 20 is preferably made of a
plastic material.
Referring to FIGs. 4 through 6, the handle member 14 comprises elongate,
tubular, top and
bottom handle segments 22 and 24 wherein, the top extremity of the bottom
handle segment
24 and the bottom extremity of the top handle 22 segment are connected
together by a
knuckle joint 26 (as seen in FIG. 5), which, as well known in the art, allows
for the angular
movement of the top and bottom handle segments 22 and 24 with respect to one
another
within a plane. More particularly, the top and bottom handle segments 22 and
24 are
connected to the knuckle joint 26 by means of common place fasteners such as,
screws, rivets,
etc. The top handle segment 22 comprises an elongate pin handle recess 28
disposed on the
exterior surface thereof wherein, the utility of the pin handle recess 28 will
become apparent
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from the following body of text. In one embodiment, as seen in FIG. 7, the top
handle segment
22 is configured to be telescopically expandable and retractable in order to
suit the individual
height preferences of a user. The top and bottom handle segments 22 and 24,
for lightness,
may be made of plastic, or metals such as, aluminum, etc.
Referring to FIGs. 5, and 8 through 10, the knuckle joint 26 comprises a top
double eye member
30, a bottom single eye member 32 and a knuckle pin 34 for coupling the single
and double eye
members 30 and 32. The double eye member 32, as well known in the art,
comprises a top
knuckle rod 36 and a pair of side extension members 38 integrally and
longitudinally extending
from the top knuckle rod 36. Each side extension member 38 comprises a
circular side hole 40
wherein, the axis passing through the center of the side holes 40 is
perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of the top knuckle rod 36. The double eye member 30 further
comprises a
centrally disposed, thorough, elongate, longitudinal lock recess 42 disposed
therein.
Referring to FIGs. 5, 8, 11 and 12, the single eye member 32, as well known in
the art,
comprises a bottom knuckle rod 44 and a central extension member 46 integrally
and
longitudinally extending from the bottom knuckle rod 44. The central extension
member 46
comprises a circular central hole 48 such that, the axis passing through the
center of the central
hole 48 is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bottom knuckle rod
44. The central
extension member 46 further comprises a lock hole 50 disposed thereon wherein,
the axis
passing through the centre of the lock hole 50 is perpendicular to the axis
passing through the
centre of the central hole 48 as see clearly in FIG. 12. The utility of the
lock hole 50 will
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become apparent from the following body of text. In order to assemble the
knuckle joint 26,
the central extension member 46 is received between the pair of side extension
members 38
(FIG. 9) such that, the side holes 40 (FIG. 9) are aligned with the central
hole 48. The knuckle
pin 34 is received with the aligned holes and thereafter secured therewithin
by means of a
knuckle collar (not shown) and suitable fasteners (not shown). Notably, as the
knuckle joint 26
is assembled, the lock hole 50 is adapted to align with the lock recess 42
when the angular
position between the single and double eye members 30 and 32 is 180 degrees.
Referring to FIGs. 9, 10, 13, and 14 through 16, the handle member further
comprises an L-
shaped lock member 52, which further is divided into an elongate lock pin 54
and an elongate
pin handle 56 which are integral and at right angles with respect to one
another. A rear portion
of the lock pin 54 (towards the pin handle 56) is disposed within spring-
loaded bracket 58, while
a front portion of the lock pin 54 is snugly and slidably received within the
lock recess 42. The
pin handle 56 is received within the pin handle recess 28 as the lock pin 54
is received within
the lock recess 42 whereby, the sliding movement of the lock pin 54 within the
lock recess 42 is
manually controlled by the to-and-fro movement pin handle 56 within the pin
handle recess 28.
Therefore, as the pin handle 56 is slid within the pin handle recess 28, the
lock pin 54 is
simultaneously slid within the lock recess 42. The lock pin 54 is movable
between an unlock
position, where the pin handle 56 is at a proximal extremity of the pin handle
recess 28 and the
lock pin 54 is entirely within the lock recess 42 disengaged from the lock
hole 50, and a lock
position, where a front portion of the lock pin 54, upon alignment with the
lock hole 50, is
received with a lock hole 50, while the rest of the lock pin 54 is within the
lock recess 42.
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Notably, the spring-loaded bracket 58 causes the lock member 52 to be biased
towards the lock
position. In the lock position (as depicted in FIGs. 15 and 16), as the lock
pin 54 is received
within the lock hole 50, the angle between the top and bottom handle segments
22 and 24 is
locked or fixed unless the lock pin 54 is retracted by the pin handle 56 into
the unlock position.
In order to utilize the handle member 14, the pin handle is retracted into
unlock position and
the top and bottom handle segments 22 and 24 are bent at right angles with
respect to each
other about the knuckle joint 26 as seen in FIG. 17.
Referring to FIGs. 18 through 20, in one embodiment, the handle member 14
comprises a
cylindrical lock sleeve 60 snugly and slidably disposed thereover. The lock
sleeve 60, as can be
appreciated from FIGs. 19 and 20, comprises an elongate rectangular lock
sleeve recess 62
disposed thereon wherein, the utility of the lock sleeve recess 62 will become
apparent from
the following body of text.
Referring to FIGs. 21 through 24, the lock sleeve 60 is operably coupled to
the pin handle 56 as
the pin hand 56 extends through the lock sleeve recess 62 whereby, the pin
handle 56 is
operated (for retraction) by manually sliding the lock sleeve 60 backwards
(i.e., away from the
knuckle joint). More particularly, the pin handle 56 abuts a front extremity
of the lock sleeve
recess 62 as the lock sleeve 60 is slid backwards. On the other hand, at lock
position, sliding the
lock sleeve 60 forward till the pin handle 56 abuts a rear extremity of the
lock sleeve recess 62
causes the lock sleeve 60 to slide over the knuckle joint in order to conceal
the same as seen in
FIG. 23.
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The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the
general nature of
the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily
modify and/or
adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing
from the generic
concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are
intended to be
comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed
embodiments. It
is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for
the purpose of
description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein
have been
described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will
recognize that the
embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and
scope of the
appended claims.
Although the embodiments herein are described with various specific
embodiments, it will be
obvious for a person skilled in the art to practice the invention with
modifications. However, all
such modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the claims.
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